The world is open. The actual plot of the gameplay isn’t really open. It’s probably more accurate to call it branching in that there are multiple paths to reach the end. Some branches are critical. Some branches are just for fun. Some branches give you tools either in game or in the form of practice to help you with later stages of the game. Some branches bring you back to the main story. Some branches seem like dead ends. And all of the Zelda games I’ve played have been more or less like this to varying degrees. Yes, even the older games. Obviously the guy in this video never played the older games without a walkthrough guide close at hand. The old game gave you clues, but rarely explicitly forced you down a linear path. There were always some things you had to do before other things, but there was never anything stopping you from just wandering around fighting baddies and playing like the world was open. I spent so much time wandering around the world of many of the games just talking to people to figure out a puzzle or clue I’d missed. I wouldn’t call that linear or open world, it’s neither and both. And I think Zelda games have generally balanced that pretty well.

All these videos seem to just be creating controversy to get views.